1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire and wheel lift wherein the mast is offset from the lifting forks for full access to lug nuts and easy and quick use with a wheel balancer or tire changer, for example. The invention further relates to a trolley for use with the tire and wheel lift as well as other cable lifts.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Removal of a tire/wheel combination for repair from a passenger car, light/medium duty truck and SUV usually occurs after the vehicle has been raised several feet off the ground by a vehicle lift. Although raising the vehicle may provide better access to the vehicle during many maintenance procedures, manual removal of a tire/wheel combination exceeding fifty pounds or more may result in back injury, particularly with repetitive lifting of such tire/wheel combinations as will occur in shop. Employers and employees are concerned about this exposure to shoulder and back injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,684,654 to Quality Stainless Steel Products, Inc. describes a pneumatic tire and wheel lift which is suitable for both small and large tire/wheel combinations. As shown in the drawings, the mast is centered between the forks. For use with smaller tire/wheel combinations, it would be desirable if the mast were offset from centerline of the lifting forks for better access to the tire/wheel combination but this produces a lateral twisting moment which must be resisted for the tire and wheel lift to work smoothly.